“Let my prayer be set before You like incense, my uplifted hands like the evening offering.” – Psalm 141:2 (BSB)
“Jesus Himself would often withdraw to lonely places and pray.” – Luke 5:16 (BSB)
“Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer—the ninth hour.” – Acts 3:1 (BSB)
“Pray without ceasing.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (BSB)
The 1662 Book of Common Prayer states in its Preface: “It is a most Christian and necessary thing… that the Scriptures should be read over once every year, and the Psalter every month.” This reveals the Anglican conviction that Scripture itself should shape the prayers of the Church and form the believer’s heart through repetition, reflection, and public reading. The Daily Office thus draws its power from the Word of God, not from novelty or emotion, but from immersion in divine truth.
Bishop Julian Dobbs (ACNA, Diocese of the Living Word) remarks, “The Daily Office trains Christians to remember that prayer is not only spontaneous but also formed—saturated with Scripture and steeped in the habits of the Church throughout time.” (Sermon on Prayer as Formation, 2020) This training in devotion helps Anglicans remain anchored in Christ, even when personal feelings fluctuate.
J.C. Ryle once noted, “The man who tries to do good without systematic prayer will find his work end in failure.” (A Call to Prayer, 1878). The Daily Office provides that system—daily re-centering on God through adoration, confession, intercession, and thanksgiving. It is not legalism, but the means of abiding in the Vine, as Jesus commands (John 15:4), through a structured life of prayer.
“It is a custom of the Church to pray at the third, sixth, and ninth hours, and at evening, interpreting these hours as being sanctified by significant events in the Passion.” – Tertullian, De Oratione, c. 198 AD
“The whole life of the faithful ought to be a holy liturgy. But at fixed hours and at certain intervals, let us interrupt our labor and dedicate ourselves to God by prayer.” – Clement of Alexandria, Stromata, c. 195 AD
“We ought to assign definite hours to the duty of prayer, that we may not through forgetfulness or carelessness deprive ourselves of the benefit of prayer.” – Cyprian of Carthage, On the Lord’s Prayer, c. 250 AD
An Anglican Catechism (Expanded) offers over 350+ Scripture-based answers to the core truths of the Christian faith. Each entry includes biblical texts, theological insight, and reflections from historic and contemporary Anglican voices. Rooted in the classical tradition, it is designed for teaching, discipleship, and spiritual formation.
An Ancient Worship Movement invites readers into the rich, historic worship of the early Church rediscovered through the Anglican tradition. This book calls believers into a deeper, Spirit-filled encounter with Christ through timeless practices.
St. Thomas Church
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Abbotsford, BC,
V2T 7A2, Canada
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St. Thomas Church is a Church planting movement in ancient tradition.
